Cantaloupe Food-Processor Sorbet

When I’m at the market and I see a fruit or vegetable I haven’t tried before, I’m compelled to buy it. Basically, I’m the culinary version of an early adopter of technology, just think of, say, opo squash as my iPad. I tried it first, and soon I’ll be trying to convince you all why you can’t live without it. However, this approach is occasionally ill-advised. Like yesterday, when I met the Microsoft Bob of the produce section: the muskmelon.

I should have known from its name. I mean, you there, reading at home, are already disgusted by the muskmelon and you haven’t even seen it. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by its unwieldy appearance that looked like what you would get if you bred a cantaloupe with an ogre. After giving it a brief sniff to rule out the presence of its promised “musk,” I tossed it into my cart, hauled it home and sliced it open.

Ighhh. The flesh looked like a cantaloupe’s, but while it had all of that cantaloupe-y flavor, it had none of the sweetness. I dotted around my kitchen looking for anything to help remedy my mistaken purchase. Inspired by a refreshing cantaloupe Italian ice that I’d recently had at Mario’s, I decided on a muskmelon sorbet, adding lemon, lime and mint to brighten it up. I don’t normally like to use white sugar, but this was a muskmelon emergency.

So last night, as I let my muskmelon experiment chill in the freezer, I headed off with my friend Jess to mingle with conscious foodies at a book launch party for Fair Food, a book that outlines a plan for a better, sustainable food system in this country. My frozen dessert sensors must have been on, because I fortuitously met Alison Bower, owner of Ruth and Phils Gourmet Ice Cream. And just like when someone has a growing rash, runs into a doctor in public and makes her take a look at it right then and there, I immediately gushed to Alison my muskmelon/sorbet fiasco. Alison offered a suggestion for my sorbet in case it came out less than ideal, “You can always turn it into a blended cocktail.” WHAT. No wonder she’s a pro.

When I gave my sorbet the final buzz in the food-processor this morning and gave it a taste, it was lovely: smooth and melon-y, with a slight kick from the tart citrus. Yet it did just seem to be screaming for a shot of tequila on top. Thanks Alison. Good thing I made a quart of it and can enjoy it both ways.

The neat thing about this sorbet is that you don’t need an ice cream maker to make it, you just blend the ingredients, freeze them and then blend them one more time before serving. The texture is slightly icier than store-bought sorbet, but that makes it light and cooling, and of course you don’t have added dairy, eggs or vegan fats to make it heavy like ice cream. By pureeing the whole melon, rather than using a fruit juice, all the fiber and nutrients like beta-carotene and potassium are preserved. This particular muskmelon desperately needed some sweetness, but if your cantaloupe is sweet, you could forgo the sugar or add a few teaspoons of agave for a more natural option. If you are brave (read: obstinate), try this with a muskmelon; otherwise, give it a try with a more reliable member of the muskmelon family: the cantaloupe.

1. In a small pot, heat the sugar, water and mint, until the sugar just dissolves. Set aside to cool. Then discard the mint sprig.

2. In a food processor or blender, puree the melon, sugar water, lime juice, lemon juice and salt until very smooth. Pour this into a glass baking dish and put in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until frozen. Stir occasionally; it will make the final step much easier.

3. Take the baking dish out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for at least 5 minutes. Using a spoon or a knife, break up the frozen mixture and put it into a food processor. Pulse to break up the ice crystals, then puree until smooth and velvety. Scoop and serve directly from the food processor. Store any extra in a container in the freezer and just let it sit for a few minutes on the counter before scooping.

6 responses to “Cantaloupe Food-Processor Sorbet”

How did you know that I needed this advice?!? I brought home this melon last night & 3 of us were not fooled that this was as good as our usual melons. The 9 yr old thought it was a canteloupe that wasn’t as sweet as usual. I Will use your timely help for the remainder of this large melon 🙂

No way! We must be on the same wavelength. A wavelength that causes us to pick out shoddy produce. Hmm. Try out the sorbet and let me know what you think! Like Alison from Ruth and Phils suggested: if it’s a bust, just make margaritas!! That’s one way to turn your 9-year-old’s mood around. 😉

Guess who made the sorbet last night!? This girl! Bryan and I loved it. I didn’t have any mint, so I might not have had the perfect batch. Nonetheless, the flavor was awesome and the recipe was really easy to follow. Great one!
– Molly

This was great. I bought a cantaloupe a few weeks ago and froze half. I came across it today trying to think of a use and this came up. It was simple: make the syrup, put the syrup, frozen cantaloupe, and a frozen banana in the food processor and 2 minutes later – sorbet. Yummy!